Made for Europe

Cost and risk-effective sourcing from new markets

Neutral, competent, cost-effective

You are planning to import? Fresh fruit and vegetables? Cut flowers? Technical wood? Natural ingredients for foods, pharmaceutics, cosmetics? We have the contacts you need and are at your side throughout the entire sourcing process.

We network you with the right exporters.

Accessing new sources of supply is labour intensive and time consuming. There are plenty of risks and unknowns. You  can reduce your initiation, agreement and control costs with the Import Promotion Desk. Gain certainty and time as we have the contacts, information and communication channels to your new foreign suppliers.

Hand in hand with the German private sector

The IPD is an initiative of the Federation of German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services (Bundesverband Großhandel, Außenhandel, Dienstleistungen e.V.) and sequa gGmbH – the development organisation of German industry. We are funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

»At the interface between development cooperation and foreign trade«

Interview with Dr. Julia Bellinghausen – Head of Import Promotion Desk
Dr. Julia Bellinghausen explains why supporting exports is an essential instrument in international development cooperation and outlines the IPD’s strategy for opening up the German and European markets to developing countries.
Read the entire interview

Covid-19 crisis: IPD adapts activities for importers

Due to the cancellation of trade fairs and buyers' trips, IPD reacts flexibly and organizes new offers for importers, e.g. virtual b2b meetings with suppliers in the partner countries. We network interested importers with carefully selected suppliers even in these difficult times. Read more about this in our IPD UPDATE.

We keep you up to date on our services.

Register here for our mailings!

»With the IPD we are closing a strategic gap at the interface of development cooperation and foreign trade: By eliminating trade barriers and information deficits, we contribute to the improved participation of emerging and developing countries in the global economy, but also support German SMEs in developing new procurement markets.«

Gregor Wolf
Federation of German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services (BGA)

»It is important for developing countries and emerging nations to integrate into international value chains and thus obtain access to new sales markets. This is where the IPD makes a valuable contribution: it opens the German and European market to producers from these regions.«

Anja Gomm
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

»Organisations such as the IPD are valuable tools for the economy not only in Germany but also in partner countries. The IPD provides German importers with information and connects them with suppliers. Even more important is the fact that the IPD and its partner organisations evaluate the suppliers and the information beforehand and therefore minimize the risk for European importers. For exporters from foreign countries, the IPD is an excellent platform to present their products and to get in contact to potential clients.«

Christian Körting Pacheco
Biomaderas GmbH

"One should think that with today's technical facilities it is easy to find new suppliers and customers in other countries. In reality,  this is a time-consuming and personnel-intensive effort. The IPD offers ideal networking opportunities in a wide range of sectors, facilitating, for instance in the wood sector, the establishment of new and safe commercial relationships with emerging and developing countries."

Nils Olaf Petersen
Gesamtverband Deutscher Holzhandel e.V.

»The import of food as a primary commodity for the processing industry up to the final product plays a vital role when it comes to enabling consumers to choose from a variety of tasty and safe foods. An interface such as the IPD promotes and supports business contacts between importers and exporters and thus creates an ideal platform for mutual trade relationships which are the foundation for a diverse and healthy food supply.«

Dr. Helena Melnikov
Waren-Verein der Hamburger Börse e.V.

»Exporters from emerging markets and developing countries and importers from Europe depend on all types of support from associations, Chambers of Industry and Commerce and other BMOs.The IPD is another useful tool to bring partners from Germany and abroad together.«

Hans Udo Bürk
Biotropic GmbH

»Numerous companies from the German nutrition industry depend on the import of high-quality food products.  Many of these raw materials cannot be grown in Germany at all or only to an insufficient extent. The Import Promotion Desk can play an important role in the establishment of a mutually satisfactory collaboration between food importers from Germany and reliable food exporters from selected commodity markets.«

Olivier Kölsch
Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Ernährungsindustrie e.V.

News

Bonn // 24.11.2020
Opportunity for foreign trade: opening up new supply markets virtually
 
Bonn // 24.11.2020

Opportunity for foreign trade: opening up new supply markets virtually

Import Promotion Desk supports companies with virtual fairs and B2B meetings

Bonn/Berlin, 24.11.2020 – The corona pandemic poses challenges for companies worldwide: contact restrictions make international trade relations and the search for new products and reliable suppliers more difficult. Many of the international trade fairs that serve as important contact exchanges have been postponed. Import Promotion Desk (IPD), the import promotion initiative funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), has developed a variety of online services to continue its work. In virtual meetings and trade fairs, IPD experts support German and European companies in opening up new supply markets and connect them with selected producers from developing countries and emerging nations.

Press release: Opportunity for foreign trade
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Bonn // 05.11.2020
GIZ and IPD: Joint export promotion in Cambodia
 
Bonn // 05.11.2020

GIZ and IPD: Joint export promotion in Cambodia

Import Promotion Desk (IPD) works closely with Deutschen Gesellschaft für Internationale Entwicklung (GIZ) in many developing countries and emerging nations.
With its expertise, the initiative supports in preparing exporters for the EU market and pro-vides them with direct contacts to European importers. In a current GIZ project in Cambodia, IPD is organizing the so-called “last mile”. The aim of the project is to increase the value creation potential of Cambodian producers and to establish long-term export relationships with European importers.

201105 IPD - GIZ Cooperation Cambodia
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Berlin // 07.02.2020
ITB 2020: Sustainable travel offers from developing and emerging countries
 
Berlin // 07.02.2020

ITB 2020: Sustainable travel offers from developing and emerging countries

Import Promotion Desk supports exhibitors from Ecuador, Nepal and Tunisia at ITB 2020
Bonn/Berlin, 04.02.2020 – Sustainable tourism offers from selected emerging and develop-ing countries are in the focus of the trade fair presentation of the Import Promotion Desk (IPD) at the ITB 2020. The German initiative for import and tourism promotion will present new tour operators from Ecuador, Tunisia and Nepal at the international tourism trade fair, taking place in Berlin from 4 to 8 March. The travel offers particularly consider aspects of sustainability and environmental and social compatibility. They range from ecological tours in the unknown north of Tunisia to bicycle tours in Nepal and the community-based tourism project Yunguilla in Ecuador. Around 20 travel companies from the three developing countries will be represented at the IPD stand (hall 5.2A | stand 113) and at the country stands of Ecuador (hall 23A | stand 110) and Tunisia (hall 21B | stand 216/217).

Press release: Sustainable travel offers from developing and emerging countries
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187 KB PDF

Events

Virtual b2b Event // 30.11. - 11.12.2020
IPD Virtual b2b Event - Food Ingredients
 
Virtual b2b Event // 30.11. - 11.12.2020

IPD Virtual b2b Event - Food Ingredients

Sourcing und Matchmaking: Meet virtually reliable exporters from our partner countries.

Many of the international trade fairs that serve as important contact exchanges have been adjourned or cancelled. The search for new products and new suppliers is more difficult.
IPD supports importers during this time with a virtual b2b event. Weconnect you with selected exporters of food ingredients such as natural extracts and sweeteners, vegetable and fruit powders as well as oilseeds and high-quality oils.

From November 30 to December 11, 2020, you get the opportunity to network online with carefully screened exporters from Ecuador, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Indonesia, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Tunisia and Ukraine.

All IPD companies were visited and evaluated by IPD before the pandemic. In doing so, we consider criteria such as product quality, exportability and capacity as well as the fulfillment of international standards and certifications. Also, during the pandemic, we are in close contact with the companies to continue screening of exporters.

Your advantages at a glance:

  • Online meetings with carefully screened producers - individually selected according to your requirements, conveniently from your computer and at your desired date
  • Support of the online meetings by experienced IPD experts
  • Detailed information about the companies via pictures or videos of the production sites, growing areas, packing houses etc.
  • All suppliers are familiar with online meetings and have prepared for web conferences.
  • The b2b event is implemented via the established and user-friendly matchmaking software B2Match. 

Get comprehensive information about our exporters, network directly with the suppliers you are interested in and arrange your individual meetings - adapted to your schedule. The IPD team will support you in your search for the right business partner.

Register for the online B2B meetings via the B2Match platform here.

For questions and more information in advance please contact:

Maria Schotten

IPD EXPORTERS AT IPD VIRTUAL B2B EVENT
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4 MB PDF
Virtual trade fair // 18.01. - 22.01.2021
IGW Professional 2021 - IPD adds matchmaking event
 
Virtual trade fair // 18.01. - 22.01.2021

IGW Professional 2021 - IPD adds matchmaking event

The International Green Week - IGW Professional 2021 - will take place from 20 to 21 January 2021 exclusively as a virtual trade fair. The organizers are moving exchange, discussion and knowledge transfer around the topics of agriculture and food industry to a virtual platform

IPD now complements the digital range of IGW with a virtual matchmaking event in order to presentselected exporters from the African partner countries again this year. Under the motto "Made in Africa - Marketplace for Foods", from 18 - 22 January IPD presents together with the Afrika Verein e.V. selected producers from 7 African countries: Egypt, Ethiopia, Benin, Côte D'Ivoire, Ghana, South Africa and Tunisia.
German and European importers can get in touch with the companies in individual online meetings and find out about the wide range of products on offer, from fresh fruit and vegetables to herbs, spices, beans, oils, nuts and dried fruit.

All companies have been carefully selected for the event and are prepared for export to Europe and familiar with online meetings.  

In addition, IPD and Afrika-Verein are organizing a virtual forum from 20-21 January with lectures, presentations and discussions on current topics such as EU-Africa policy, opportunities for development partnerships and corporate social responsibility.

Use the IPD virtual B2B event for your sourcing and network directly with selected suppliers from Africa.

Get more information here.

For questions in advance please contact:

Laura Schiefer

www.greunewoche.de

Virtual trade fair // 17. - 19.02.2021
Biofach 2021 eSpecial
 
Virtual trade fair // 17. - 19.02.2021

Biofach 2021 eSpecial

Biofach 2021 - the world's leading trade fair for organic food - will take place from 17 - 19 February 2021 completely digital. With this decision, the organizer, NürnbergMesse, is responding to the altered circumstances of the dynamically evolving pandemic and at the same time, it provides importers and exporters with planning security in good time.

The Biofach eSpecial includes a virtual offer, which provides company and product presentations as well as innovative networking formats. An integral part of the eSpecial are sophisticated matchmaking functions.
IPD also makes use of this virtual offer and will present carefully selected producers from Ethiopia, Indonesia, Ghana, Ecuador, Egypt and Sri Lanka at the Biofach eSpecial.
Our suppliers offer a diverse organic range. You will find e.g. herbs, spices and teas, pastes, essential and cold-pressed oils, cane and coconut blossom sugar as well as fruit and vegetable specialties from the new markets.

All companies were visited and tested by the IPD even before the pandemic. We take into account criteria such as product quality, exportability and capacity as well as the fulfillment of international standards and certifications.

Take advantage of the Biofach eSpecial and make online contact with reliable exporters from our partner countries. 

Details of companies and their product range will be available from December.

For questions in advance and further information please contact us:

Maria Paula Gomez

www.biofach.de

Virtual trade fair // 09. - 12.03.2021
ITB Berlin NOW
 
Virtual trade fair // 09. - 12.03.2021

ITB Berlin NOW

The International Tourism Exchange Fair (ITB) has been held in Berlin since 1966, but in 2021 everything will be different: Following the innovative trend, the ITB will take place in purely digital form from 9 to 12 March 2021. Visitors and exhibitors can look forward to three focal points: content, business, networking!

On this occasion, IPD will present carefully selected tour operators from Ecuador, Nepal and Tunisia.

Our partners offer unique experiences, foreign cultures and unforgettable moments in exotic places, far away from mass tourism. It is particularly important to them that their trips are in harmony with the nature and culture of the host country. 

We put European tourism professionals in touch with reliable tour operators in our partner countries. All providers were visited before the pandemic, carefully checked and prepared for the requirements of the EU travel market. 

Use the virtual ITB for individual discussions.

For further questions in advance please contact us: 

Nora Eichkorn

www.itb-berlin.de

Publications

Success Story
Fresh fruit & vegetables from Egypt
 
Success Story

Fresh fruit & vegetables from Egypt

IPD successfully prepares young enterprise for the EU market

Creatick Pro was launched in 2017 with a lot of enthusiasm and a high-quality product range. Although their range was tailored for the EU market, a marketing strategy and contact to European partners were lacking. Creatick joined the IPD programme in autumn 2019, and the Egyptian enterprise is now rapidly conquering the European market.

IPD Success story - Fresh fruit & vegetables from Egypt
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574 KB PDF
Success Story
Dates from Tunisia
 
Success Story

Dates from Tunisia

IPD supports Demeter producer in setting up lasting trade partnerships

Beni Ghreb is the first company in Tunisia to be certified for its organic and biodynamic dates. Initially, however, it proved impossible to obtain the price for Demeter-certified dates for the entire production. Beni Ghreb therefore
applied for admission to the IPD programme with the aim of increasing sales of its products, especially to the organic sector in Europe. Since 2018, IPD has successfully liaised new business partners for Beni Ghreb.

 

Dates from Tunisia
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Success Story
Organic peanuts from Egypt
 
Success Story

Organic peanuts from Egypt

Import Promotion Desk assists African growers in exporting ecological products

African countries offer a wide variety of top-quality products for which there is great demand on the EU market. Import Promotion Desk (IPD) introduces selected suppliers of organic foods to European traders. The Egyptian exporter Logistic Nuts for Agricultural Development is a new supplier which, with assistance from the IPD, has converted to ecological farming and is now capturing the market with organic peanuts.

Organic peanuts from Egypt
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